Early
Life. — John
Stark was born in Nutfield, now known as Londonderry, on the 28th of August,
1728. His father, a graduate of the University at Glasgow, emigrated to this
country with several other Scotch Irish settlers from Londonderry, Ireland, in
the early part of the eighteenth century. When John was but eight years old,
the family moved to Derryfield, now Manchester.

In
our backwoods settlements there was little or no opportunity to gain an
education, and Stark’s early life was spent in working hard upon the farm
during the spring, summer and autumn, and in hunting and trapping during the
winter.

He lived with his
father until he was twenty-four years old, when, with his older brother and two
companions he went on a hunting trip to Baker’s River in the northwestern part
of the state, beyond the farthest English settlements. While there, Stark
having wandered some distance from the others, was seized by a party of ten
Indians who demanded that he should lead them toward his camp. The young man
had no idea of doing this, however, and conducted them in the opposite
direction. But his companions, becoming alarmed at his long absence, fired guns
and thus disclosed the true position of their camp. The Indians immediately
turned about and made a stealthy advance upon them. As soon as they came within
hailing distance, Stark, unmindful of the consequences to himself, shouted to
his friends to make their escape. This his brother William was able to do, but
of the two remaining, one was killed and the other captured.

The latter, with
Stark, was taken to the Indian village of St. Francis where they were compelled
to “run the gantlet,” that is, they were forced to run between two long rows of
Indians, each of whom, armed with a switch or club, beat the captives as they
passed. Stark, much to their confusion, and to the amusement of the old men,
seized the club of the first Indian, and used it with such effect that he
escaped unharmed.

At another time
young Stark was made to hoe corn with the squaws, but knowing that the Indians
considered squaw’s work degrading to a warrior, he carefully hoed up all the
corn and left the weeds, to show them how ignorant he was of such labor. When
reproved for this conduct, he threw the hoe far away from him and said, “It is
the business, not of warriors, but of squaws, to hoe corn.” The Indians were
much pleased at his spirit, and adopted him into the tribe, giving him the name
of “Young Chief.” Although closely watched to prevent his escape, he had great
liberty, and used all his opportunities for studying the character and habits
of the Red Man.

Ransom
of Stark. —
When he had been with the Indians for some time, Captain Stevens of Number Four
and Mr. Wheelwright of Boston went to St. Francis to ransom two citizens of
Massachusetts whom they expected to find there. It had become the custom of
Massachusetts to pay a ransom for her citizens who had been made captive by the
Indians. Mr. Wheelwright advanced the ransom money, one hundred three dollars
to Stark, and sixty dollars to his companion, when the two men returned to
Derryfield after an absence of four months. Stark always remembered with
pleasure this stay among the natives, and often said that he never saw any
prisoner of war more kindly treated than he had been by them. New Hampshire
refused to refund to Massachusetts the money for his ransom, and Stark went on
another hunting trip the next winter in order that he might pay the debt
himself.

Stark
Made Lieutenant of New Hampshire Rangers. — The first Congress of the colonies, which
assembled at Albany, New York, in 1754, planned several campaigns against the
Indians, one of which, composed mostly of New England men, was to attack Crown
Point on Lake Champlain. Robert Rogers enlisted a corps of rangers in New
Hampshire to aid in this expedition, and Stark was made a second lieutenant in
the regiment of Colonel Blanchard.

The army
accomplished but little. They repulsed the French and Indians under Baron
Dieskau, but did not follow up their advantage by attacking Crown Point. The
rangers did such good work that Abercrombie, who had succeeded Governor
Shirley, enlarged their numbers and Stark was advanced to the grade of first
lieutenant.

Attack
upon the French. — In the month of January, 1757, Rogers was ordered to take a part of
his men on an exploring expedition from Fort William Henry. They started down
Lake George on snowshoes, but some of the men became so lame that they were
obliged to turn back. The remainder proceeded to Lake Champlain, where they
captured a number of sleds loaded with provisions, which were on their way from
Ticonderoga to Crown Point. From one of the prisoners they learned that there
was a much larger force at Ticonderoga than they had supposed. Knowing that
those who had escaped would inform the garrison of their presence, they began a
retreat toward their camp of the previous night.

Advancing in Indian
file, Major Rogers in the lead and Lieutenant Stark in the rear, they suddenly
came on a force of two hundred fifty of the enemy, who immediately opened fire.
Captain Spikeman was killed and several were wounded, but Stark and his men
kept up such a steady fire that the rangers were enabled to form a line of
battle on a hilltop, sheltered by trees. The enemy made an assault and the
battle began in earnest. The contest lasted from two o’clock in the afternoon
until dark. Rogers was wounded in the wrist, and one of his comrades cut off
the Major’s queue to stanch the wound.

Then the command devolved
on Lieutenant Stark. When there was talk of falling back, he cried that he
would shoot any man who retreated. In spite of the intense cold, the men having
to stand in four or five feet of snow, the fight continued. A bullet broke the
lock of Stark’s gun. He promptly seized one from a fallen Frenchman. The enemy
offered them every inducement to surrender, but they refused, and to such good
purpose that nearly half the French force was mortally wounded. At dusk, the
enemy stopped firing, and the rangers, knowing that they were very near a large
garrison, resolved to retreat toward Fort William Henry. Assisting the wounded
as best they could, they dragged themselves to Lake George, which was reached
in the morning.

Although still
forty miles from Fort William Henry, Stark with two other men volunteered to go
there for a sled on which the wounded could be carried. Passing over the lake
on snowshoes, they reached the fort about dark. Immediately they started on the
return trip, and by traveling all night succeeded in bringing back the wounded
at the close of the next day. It is said that Stark himself helped to drag the
sled back to the fort, thus having labored for three days and two nights
without stopping. In appreciation of his gallant conduct, he was advanced to
the grade of captain in the place of Spikeman, who had been killed.

Stark
Repulses an Attack upon Fort William Henry. — On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, Captain Stark
overheard some of the soldiers at Fort William Henry talking of the way in which
they were going to celebrate, and in order that his own men at least might be
sober, he gave strict orders to the sutler not to furnish any liquor to the
rangers except on an order signed by himself. When the men asked for orders,
Stark complained that his wrist was lame and therefore he could not write. The
French knowing that many of the garrison would be likely to drink hard on St.
Patrick’s Day, made an attack that night. As Stark expected, the regulars were
unfit for service, and the fort would certainly have been taken had it not been
for the New Hampshire rangers.

The
Attack upon Fort Ticonderoga. — Both England and her colonies were determined to
conquer Canada, and for this purpose large forces were raised in New England.
New Hampshire furnished three thousand soldiers for the campaign of 1758.
Loudoun was recalled and Abercrombie was put in command of the troops, which
consisted of fifty thousand men, the largest army that had ever been seen in
America. In July they marched against Ticonderoga. Stark, with his rangers, was
ordered to go before and clear the woods of scouts and skirmishers.

Abercrombie delayed
his advance so long that, when he finally made an attack, the French had
received reinforcements and had entrenched themselves behind trees that were
felled with their boughs and branches all pointing outward, making it almost
impossible for an attacking party to charge through them. The English forces
were repulsed with great loss, and although they still had twice as many men as
the French, yet Abercrombie ordered a retreat. It now became the duty of the
rangers to protect the rear as they had before protected the advance. No more
work was done by the regular army that summer, but the rangers were employed in
reconnoitering and in waylaying the baggage trains of the enemy. Stark, who was
not needed, obtained a furlough, and returned to his home, where he married
Elizabeth Page of Dunbarton.

After the capture
of Louisburg, Sir Jeffrey Amherst was given command of all the Canadian forces.
Stark, becoming tired of the slow way in which the campaign was conducted, soon
resigned his commission and devoted himself to the care of his farm.

The
Commencement of the Revolutionary War. — In 1774 Stark was a member of the committee of
safety of his town, and he did all in his power to encourage his friends to
stand firm for their rights and to resist oppression, even if it became
necessary to rebel against the mother country. To this end, he greatly helped
the militia in its organization and drill.

When
the news came of the Battle of Lexington, the messenger, who was sent to ask
Stark to take command of the New Hampshire forces, found him at work in his
sawmill. He immediately stopped the mill, hurried to his house, took down his
rifle, and started on horseback to Massachusetts, forgetting in his haste even
to put on his coat. As he passed through the towns, he was joined by many other
New Hampshire men eager to resist the British. Soon the New Hampshire troops
were organized, and formed into three regiments commanded by Colonels Stark,
Reed and Poor, with headquarters at Medford. Stark’s regiment was probably the
largest in the army as it consisted of thirteen companies.

Stark
at Bunker Hill. — The night before the Battle of Bunker Hill, a party under Colonel
Prescott was sent across Charlestown Neck to make a fortification. Two hundred
of Stark’s men were detailed to help in this work. The rampart which they
raised was so unskillfully made that it was impossible for the defenders to
fire, as the enemy advanced up the hill, without exposing themselves. Stark in
derision called it a pound. Early in the morning, he sent two hundred men under
Wyman, his lieutenant-colonel, to aid in the defense, and he, with Major
McClary, went forward to view the situation.

It is said that
General Gage, when he was reconnoitering the redoubt from Boston, was asked if
the Americans would stand before the advance of the British regiments, and that
he replied: “They will if one John Stark is among them, for he is a brave
fellow and served under me at Lake George.”

At two o’clock in
the afternoon, Stark’s whole regiment was ordered to the front and he hastened
back to lead their advance. Each of his men was given a gill of powder, fifteen
bullets and one flint; but their guns were of different sizes, and many of the
men had to pound the bullets into the right shape for their barrels. They
marched across Charlestown Neck, where they were exposed to a heavy fire from
the British ships. Captain Dearborn, afterwards major-general, who was near
Stark, suggested that they move faster.

“Dearborn,” Stark
replied, “one fresh man in action is worth ten fatigued,” and he continued to
advance in the same cool way. Stark was joined soon after by the two hundred
men who, the night before, had helped raise the fortification. The men under
Wyman were by themselves on the right wing commanded by General Putnam. Stark
took his position on the left, between the fortification and the Mystic River.

The British forces,
commanded by General Howe and General Piggott, landed under the protection of a
tremendous fire from the British ships and from the artillery on Copp’s Hill.
Stark, seeing the engagement to be imminent, made a short speech to his men and
ordered them to march quickly to a rail fence extending to the Mystic. There
they gathered up the grass that had recently been mowed and raked into
windrows, and placed it behind the fence. This, while no protection from the
bullets of the enemy, served to deceive them.

Stark coolly
advanced about thirty paces in front of his line, and carefully drove a stake
into the ground. He then said, “If any man dares fire before the redcoats reach
this stake, I will knock him down.” The terrible work accomplished by the men
behind the rail fence is well known. Twice the British forces retreated under
the tremendous fire of the backwoodsmen, and it required all of Stark’s
authority to keep his men from following.

During the battle,
word was brought to Stark that his oldest son, a lad of sixteen years, had been
killed. The brave colonel replied: “This is not a moment to talk of private
affairs when the enemy is in front,” and he ordered the messenger back to his
station. Fortunately, it was a false report, for the lad was not killed, but
lived to serve throughout the war.

Shortly afterward
the fortification having fallen into the hands of the British, Stark ordered a
retreat. All ammunition was gone and the Americans would have been at the mercy
of the enemy, had not a supply of powder arrived from New Hampshire just in
time to prevent a rout. It was the powder that had been captured at Fort
William and Mary and stored at Durham. It had been brought over the hills to
Charlestown by old John Demeritt, in his ox-cart, from the little New Hampshire
town sixty miles away. With this ammunition, Colonel Stark was enabled to cover
the retreat of the flying troops who had occupied the redoubt, and the entire
force passed over Charlestown Neck in safety.

Expedition
against Canada. — A portion of Stark’s men, under the command of Captain Dearborn,
joined the expedition which Arnold led up the Kennebec against Canada, but
Stark himself remained at Winter Hill until the evacuation of Boston, March,
1776, when, under orders from General Washington, he went to New York, where
his troops were engaged in strengthening the defenses of that city.

In
May Stark was ordered to proceed to Canada by way of Albany and to join the American
army. This he succeeded in doing, but the Canadian expedition was a failure,
and the Americans retreated to Chimney Point, on Lake Champlain. Here Stark
thought that it was best for the army to make a stand in defense of the
neighboring settlers, but General Schuyler ordered a retreat to Ticonderoga.
The day after they reached the fort, word was received of the signing of the
Declaration of Independence, which caused great rejoicing among the men.

Stark’s
Advice to Washington. — After the disaster at New York, General Gates was ordered to send
reinforcements to General Washington, and Stark’s regiment was included in the
detachment sent for that purpose. Stark became impatient at the lack of active
fighting and said to Washington: “Your men have too long been accustomed to
place their dependence for safety upon spades and pickaxes; if you expect to
establish the independence of these States, you must teach them to place
dependence upon their firearms and their courage.” Washington replied: “This is
what we have agreed upon. We are to march to-morrow upon Trenton; you are here
to command the right wing of the advance guard and General Green the left.”
Stark replied that the position exactly suited him. The attack was a great
success, for several cannon and a large number of small arms were captured, and
nearly a thousand men were taken prisoners, while the American loss was about
ten men.

Just before the
battle of Princeton, the term expired for which his men had enlisted, but
Colonel Stark, seeing that important work was soon to be done, succeeded in
persuading them to reënlist for a period of six weeks. Such was their faith in
their colonel that not one of them failed to respond, which is the more
remarkable as the hopes of the American army were then at the lowest ebb, and
men were constantly deserting.

Stark
Returns to New Hampshire. — As this new enlistment was only for a short time,
it became necessary for Stark to return to New Hampshire to recruit men for the
campaign of 1777. By March, his regiment was full, and having reported that
fact to the council of New Hampshire and to General Washington, he went to
Exeter to await further orders.

While at home,
Stark learned that a new list of promotions had been made out, and that his
name had been omitted, while inferior officers had been set above him. He
immediately notified the council and Generals Sullivan and Poor that he
considered his treatment so unjust that he must surrender his commission. They
tried to dissuade him but he replied: “An officer who will not stand for his
own rights ought not to be trusted to stand for the rights of his country.”

Although Stark
considered that his dignity required his resignation from the army, he still
took great interest in the cause and warned Sullivan and Poor of the
defenseless condition of Fort Ticonderoga and of the northwestern frontier. At
the same time he declared his willingness to return to the army when his
country should need him. The council and house of delegates gave him a vote of
thanks for his attachment to the cause of liberty. On his return home, he
enlisted in the Continental army all the members of his family who were old
enough to serve.

Burgoyne’s
Invasion. —
In 1777 Burgoyne with a large number of American Tories, Indians, Canadians and
Germans, started from Canada to join Howe at New York, and thus cut the
Continental forces into two parts. The Americans had been easily driven out of
Fort Ticonderoga, Washington had met with many and severe reverses, and the
whole country was in a state of gloom and despondency. The Committee of Safety
of the New Hampshire Grants applied to the legislature of New Hampshire for
aid, but as the treasury was empty no assistance could be given. In this
extremity, John Langdon, a Portsmouth merchant, and speaker of the assembly,
thus addressed that body:

“I
have three thousand dollars in hard money; I will pledge my plate for three
thousand more; I have hogsheads of Tobago rum which shall be sold for the most
it will bring. These are at the service of the state. If we succeed in
defending our firesides and homes, I shall be remunerated; if we do not, the
property will be of no value to me. Our old friend Stark, who so nobly
maintained our honor at Bunker Hill, may be safely trusted with the conduct of
the enterprise, and we will check the progress of Burgoyne.”

Stark
is Given Independent Command. — Langdon’s generosity enabled the state to raise a
force of men which Stark was asked to lead, but he refused to serve under any
officers whom he had formerly commanded; and finally, rather than lose his
services, the legislature gave him command of all the forces of New Hampshire,
and agreed that he should be entirely independent of the national officers.

When Stark arrived
at Manchester, Vermont, the advantage of this power was shown, for there he was
met by General Lincoln, who ordered him to march to the west side of the
Hudson. Much incensed, Stark asked “By whose authority do you give this
command?” Lincoln replied, “By the order of General Schuyler.”

Stark thereupon
asked Lincoln to tell General Schuyler that he (Stark) was able to command his
own forces, and also gave to him copies of his independent commission and
orders from New Hampshire. Schuyler brought this to the notice of Congress,
which passed a resolution of censure upon the state of New Hampshire for giving
authority without its permission.

Stark’s purpose was
to protect the New Hampshire Grants, and the only way of accomplishing his
object was to remain on the east side of the Hudson and attempt to cut off
Burgoyne’s supplies from Canada, which plan afterward met with the hearty
approval of Washington.

Battle
of Bennington.
— Burgoyne, believing that there were many Tories in the New Hampshire Grants,
sent out a large detachment of Hessians, Tories and Indians under Colonel Baum
to obtain provisions and possibly recruits. On the 14th of August, Stark
received information that this force had arrived at Cambridge, about ten miles
northwest of Bennington, and that they were intending to capture a large quantity
of flour, stored at a mill near the town. He immediately marched his forces in
that direction, and at nightfall met the enemy.

CANNON CAPTURED AT BENNINGTON

WAR RELICS OF BATTLE OF BENNINGTON

As the ground was
unsuitable for an immediate attack, Stark withdrew his army about a mile and
prepared for battle on the following day. The next morning he moved to attack
the British, but it began to rain so heavily that he was forced to return to
his camp. This delay unfortunately gave Baum time to throw up entrenchments in
a strong position and to send to Burgoyne for aid.

On the morning of
the 16th, the Americans were reinforced by the Berkshire militia, those from
Pittsfield being led by their pastor, the Reverend Thomas Allen. This gentleman
advanced to the log cabin where Stark had his headquarters and addressed the
General as follows: — “We, the people of Berkshire, have been frequently called
upon to fight, but we have never been led against the enemy. We have now
resolved, if you will not let us fight, never to turn out again.”

General Stark
asked, “Do you wish to march now, while it is dark and rainy?”

“No,” was the
answer.

“Then,” continued
Stark, “if the Lord should once more give us sunshine, and I do not give you
fighting enough, I will never ask you to come again.”

Shortly after the
arrival of the Berkshire militia, Stark sent Nichols and Herrick with a
detachment of five hundred men to form at the rear of Baum’s entrenchment, and
also sent to the right a flanking party of two hundred men.

The stolid German
commander was entirely unsuspicious of these movements. He took no notice
whatever of the little squads of farmers who passed by his camp dressed in
their rough homespun, for, to his mind, no man could be a soldier unless
clothed in uniform. He was destined later to change his opinion. The Indians,
however, were not at all deceived, and held an entirely different view of the
matter. They quietly deserted the British camp, complaining that the woods were
full of Yankees.

The weather cleared
up in the course of the day, and Stark advanced toward the fortification.
Having placed his troops in position, about three o’clock in the afternoon he
ordered an attack. Advancing in front of his troops and pointing to the enemy,
he exclaimed, “See, men! There are the redcoats! We shall beat them to-day, or ‘Molly’ Stark will be a widow!”

For more than two
hours the fight raged, as Stark afterwards said, “hotter than he had ever
experienced.” The New Hampshire troops advanced repeatedly within gunshot of
the intrenchments and with accurate aim picked off the Hessian gunners.

At last Stark
rallied all his forces and led a final charge upon the works of the enemy. Then
followed a hand to hand encounter, in which both sides fought stubbornly and
well. Stark’s men were greatly handicapped by lack of bayonets, but in spite of
it they, with their clubbed muskets, repeatedly drove back the charges of the
British. Finally Baum fell mortally wounded, and shortly after his forces
surrendered. The Hessian prisoners were treated civilly, but the Tories were
fastened to a long rope two by two, the end of which was hitched to the tail of
an old horse, and in disgrace they were marched through the town of Bennington.

While the Americans
were still engaged in plundering the Hessian camp, at about six o’clock in the
afternoon, a large force of the enemy, under Colonel Brayman, came suddenly
upon them. They had been sent by Burgoyne as a reinforcement for Baum. Although
his men were tired out by the former battle, Stark rallied his troops and again
ordered an attack. After a short but very severe engagement, during which he
was reinforced by a company of Green Mountain Boys under Warner, the enemy were
compelled to retreat, leaving behind all their artillery.

Here we have a case
in which a man fought two battles in one day. In the first, he captured the
entire army opposing; and in the second, put the enemy to rout. The following
is an extract of Stark’s account of the battle, forwarded by a messenger to the
legislature of New Hampshire:

“Our people behaved
with the greatest spirit and bravery imaginable. Had they been Alexanders or
Charles of Sweden, they could not have behaved better. The action lasted two
hours, at the expiration of which time we forced their breastworks at the
muzzles of their guns, took two pieces of brass cannon, with a number of
prisoners; but before I could get them into proper form again, I received
intelligence that there was a large reinforcement within two miles of us on
their march, which occasioned us to renew our attack. But lucky for us, Colonel
Warner’s regiment came up, which put a stop to their career.

“Soon
we rallied, and, in a few minutes, the action began very warm and desperate,
which lasted until night. We used their own cannon against them, which proved
of great service to us. At sunset we obliged them to retreat a second time. We
pursued them until dark, when I was obliged to halt for fear of killing my own
men in the darkness. With one more hour of daylight, we would have captured the
whole body. We recovered two pieces more of their cannon, together with all
their baggage, a number of horses, carriages, etc., and killed upwards of two
hundred of the enemy in the field of battle. The number of wounded is not yet
known, as they are scattered about in many places. I have one
lieutenant-colonel, since dead, one major, seven captains, fourteen
lieutenants, four ensigns, two cornets, one judge-advocate, one baron, two
Canadian officers, six sergeants, one aid-de-camp, one Hessian chaplain, three
Hessian servants and seven hundred prisoners.

Signed,JOHN STARK,

Brigadier-General.”

The effect of this
victory was electrical. It was the first link of a chain of victories which led
to the overthrow of the British. After the reverses of our army in
Pennsylvania, it aroused the entire country to new hope. Recruits came pouring
in.

When news of the
battle was brought to Washington, he exclaimed, “One more such stroke, and we
shall have no great cause for anxiety as to the future designs of Britain.”
Congress, when the news came, was about to “read New Hampshire out of the
Union,” but, instead, this resolution was passed:

“Resolved, that the
thanks of Congress be presented to General Stark of the New Hampshire militia,
and the officers and troops under his command, for their brave and successful
attack upon, and their signal victory over the enemy in their lines at
Bennington; and that Brigadier Stark be appointed brigadier-general in the army
of the United States.” Years afterwards, President Jefferson wrote General
Stark a letter in which he stated that the battle of Bennington was the
culminating point in the fortunes of the colonists.

Burgoyne, having
advanced beyond Ticonderoga, had placed his reliance upon foraging parties like
Baum’s to bring in provisions. The battle of Bennington proved that this was impossible,
and his forces were thus cut off from all supplies.

Stark remained a
month at Bennington and then rejoined General Gates at Bemis Heights, but the
enlistment of his men having expired he returned with them to New Hampshire. In
a short time he was given a larger command, and he now carried out his former
policy of harassing Burgoyne’s rear and of preventing any supplies reaching him
from Canada. By this means he became an important factor in the final surrender
of Burgoyne.

Stark
Given Command of the Northern Department. — In the campaign of 1778, Stark was given the
command of the northern department with headquarters at Albany. It was a
difficult position, for while there was not much hard fighting, the country was
full of Tories, who needed constant watching.

Later,
he was ordered to join General Gates in Rhode Island, where he was engaged in
reconnoitering the coast. When Gates went to New Jersey to reinforce
Washington, Stark accompanied him, but the army soon went into winter quarters,
and Stark returned home to raise recruits and supplies for the spring campaign.

It was with great
difficulty that the New Hampshire legislature could be prevailed upon to
provide sufficient clothing for their soldiers. One of the members of this
body, named Ephraim Adams, an old campaigner in the French and Indian War,
repeatedly called the attention of the legislature to their negligence in this
direction, but his words produced little or no effect. Finally, on a bitterly
cold winter’s day, the old man arose, and in a most impressive manner thus
addressed the legislature: — “Gentlemen, our soldiers are in the field fighting
for the protection of our homes and families, and I would move, Mr. President,
that they be allowed the privilege of growing wool upon their backs to protect
them from the bitter cold.” It is said that from this time on the New Hampshire
soldiers were the best clothed regiments in the army.

In May Stark
returned to New Jersey, and was present at the battle of Springfield, but he
soon went back to New Hampshire for more recruits. He had such success that he
was able in a short time to take reinforcements to West Point, where he left
them, while he joined the army at Morristown. After Arnold’s treachery, Stark
was ordered to relieve General St. Clair at West Point, and to serve on the
court-martial of Major André.

In 1781 Stark was
again given the command of the northern department and stationed at Saratoga,
where he was occupied principally with police duties, as the country was
overrun with spies and traitors, and as robberies were of frequent occurrence.
After the surrender of Cornwallis Stark dismissed the militia, and thanked them
for their bravery and loyalty. He then returned to New England by way of
Albany, and spent the winter in raising troops for the campaign of 1782. His
long years of exposure had brought on a severe attack of rheumatism, and he was
no longer able to take the field himself, but he did all in his power to aid
the cause of liberty.

In appearance Stark was a man of medium size,
well proportioned, and of great strength and endurance. It is remarkable that
in all his years of hard service and in his many severe battles, he had never
received a wound. In character he was kind, honest, frank and hospitable. He
died at the advanced age of ninety-four, and was buried at Manchester, New
Hampshire. After his death, there was left but one general who had taken part
in the Revolutionary War.